In recent years, as content, in particular, video content is actively exchanged (transmitted/received), a scheme for coding video in order to transmit/receive the video content effectively is developing in various ways. In particular, it is expected that video, which is coded using a Scalable Video Coding (hereinafter referred to as ‘SVC’) method standardized in accordance with H.264 Salable Extension, (hereinafter referred to as ‘SVC video’) may be employed a lot in the future.
SVC video is described below. The SVC video is video coded using the SVC method, and bit streams of the SVC video, which contribute to the resolution, the frame rate and the picture quality, respectively, can be divided. In accordance with the SVC method, the layer of SVC consists of one base layer, and one or more enhancement layers that can be consecutively stacked over the base layer. The enhancement layers can represent a maximum resolution, a maximum frame rate and a maximum picture quality, which are respectively given thereto, on the basis of lower layer information. In the SVC video, as the number of the enhancement layers consecutively stacked increases, a variety of resolutions, frame rates, and picture qualities can be supported.
Thus, a displaying apparatus for receiving and displaying the streamed SVC video can download, stream, receive and display the SVC video having an appropriate resolution, frame rate and picture quality depending on the state of a network (for example: the transfer rate) or its own conditions (for example: displaying specification). In particular, a displaying apparatus that displays an SVC video can selectively download or stream and display the SVC video of a low resolution, a low frame rate and a low picture quality (hereinafter referred to as a ‘base layer SVC video’) or an SVC video of a high resolution, a high frame rate and a high picture quality (hereinafter referred to as a ‘full svc video’) depending on the state of a network.
A displaying apparatus that can selectively display the base layer svc video or the full svc video as described above displayed and stored the base layer svc video in the past, but, as the state of a network is improved, full svc video is streamed, over a network if it is sought to display the improved quality video.
However, in the case in which the quality improved video is to be displayed in the state in which the base layer svc video is stored as described above, the base layer svc video previously stored, including the same contents, is never used, and the entire improved quality(resolution) improved new video is streamed and received. Accordingly, problems arise because the data transfer rate is very high and the resources of a network are consumed a lot.
Further, in existing video, a user can search for a desired video based on information, such as a title (or players), resolution, and picture quality of video, as metadata information. However, in the case of SVC, the entire SVC video can be described in existing video form. However, in order to search for respective sub-bit streams constituting the SVC video, new metadata information, including additional fields, is required. That is, in order to display an improved picture quality while having some bit streams of existing SVC(base layer SVC bit stream), SVC sub-bit streams for the improved picture quality(enhancement layer svc bit stream) are required, and new metadata can be employed in order to search a multimedia DB for the SVC sub-bit streams.